Forgiveness

At the time of this posting the National Debt was $14, 698,142,844,866. Which breaks down to a debt of $47,084 per citizen and a Debt of $131,144 per taxpayer. What would happen if tomorrow we woke up and had to each pay our share of America's national debt? I don't know about you, but there is no way I could pay my share of the national debt. It is just too great. 

Now what would happen if tomorrow morning we each stood before the Lord and we told to give account of all the sins we have committed throughout our lives. What would the numbers look like for our own Spiritual Debt towards God. Could you pay off what you owe to God for all the sins you have committed? The answer is of course, no. According to Scripture just one sin is too great a debt for any mortal to repay.

Yet, this Sunday Jesus tells us something about God the Father. In the parable of the ungrateful servant we see a glimpse of the Father's Divine compassion on sinners. We see God's justice upon both sin and sinners. Yet, we also see how God's compassion for sinners is greater than all our sins. It is finished... one of the last words spoken by Jesus from the cross. Literally paid in full, debt cancel, sins forgiven. 

What does this mean for us today? It means that yes we can forgive our neighbor when they sin against us. How, because we ourselves have been forgiven. Thus we pray... Our Father forgive us our debt as we forgive those are indebted to us. 

 

The Good Shepherd.

Long before the cross became the symbol for the Christian church, there was the image of the shepherd. The image of a young shepherd holding a very large sheep was the image craved into catacombs walls and into early church altars. Drawing from Jesus words in John 10 were he tells us that He is the Good Shepherd and that He will lay down His life for the sheep. This image has been very important for many Christians as they struggle with life. It is usually Psalm 23 that is read at many a hospital visit, shut-in call, or funeral.

Why? I believe is it because as God's children we need to be reminded that we are always being watch after and cared for. The world is a scary place with many lions and bears who are out to destroy both body and soul. To remember that God watches over us just as a shepherd watches over a sheep helps us in our daily grind. No where in the bible does it say that life will be easy. In fact it tells us just the opposite. We should not be surprised that in Mexico we have wars and rumors of wars, then plagues, food and other things become hard to get, and just wait to see what the weather will bring this storm season. These are all reminders to those who listen and look that evil is in the world.

However, right alongside this is the reality that Jesus the Good Shepherd watches over us. Even though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death we will fear no evil, for you rod and your staff they comfort me. Jesus our Good Shepherd is here with us and while we remain close to him nothing in all of creation can separate us from His love. What good news that is for us today.

So as the world continues to follow its present course to self destruction, we who are God's sheep follow a different path. A path mark out for us by Jesus who lifts high His holy cross and leads us to green pastures and still waters of heaven and a life with him. Indeed, we have a Good shepherd who cares for us, died for us, and rose again for us. In life what more could we ask for? What more do we need?

Smile!

It makes the soul happy.

Is That Thunder?

With warm weather trying to make its way into southern Michigan the threat of spring storms increase. In fact just a few days ago we had a very brief thunderstorm, the first of the year. The kids had been in bed for about ten minutes and were starting to drift off into peaceful sleep when BOOOOM! the whole house shock with the sound of thunder. Just then sounds of little feet pounded on the stairs as three fearful boys came running. They were soon followed by the girls and we all huddled on the couch waiting for the storm to pass.

Fear is a powerful emotion. It freezes the deer in the middle of the road, causes bulls to stampede, and teenage boys to loose hours of sleep trying to get up the courage to ask that girl out on a date. Fear triggers the fight or flight response in humans and animals. It causes us not to think correctly and can make us do things that are next to impossible for a "normal" human. Fear is a powerful thing that, when used correctly, can keep us from danger. However, if our fears are preyed upon we are easily mislead and can fall victim to many things.

Over the last few months I have sensed a rise in the fear level both in the church and in the community. Many people fear the loss of retirement plans, homes, and jobs for good reason.
The winter months bring the fear of getting sick or slipping on the ice for young and old alike. Just this week I ministered to several people who, for various reasons, have been gripped with overwhelming fear over past sins and how those sins effected their relationship with God. It is disheartening to see all of life's joy taken away by this overwhelming sense of fear.

"The Lord is my light and my salvation who shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold in my life of whom shall I be afraid?" (Psalm 27:1) The psalmist asks these questions with the understanding that in faith a Christian is able to answer through faith in Christ we fear nothing. Sin, death, and the devil have lost all power and fear through Christ on the cross. Even the uncertainties of this life loose the fear that is easily attracted to them, because in faith we know that God is in control of all things. There will always be storms in life and the thunder and lightening will rumble and flash. Fears in life will come, but they need not overcome us. Through Jesus we have the power to take control of our fears, leaving them at Jesus' feet and letting Him take over.

As the first spring storm passed by, it was special to see the children fall back into peaceful sleep. Their fear of storms still there, but knowing that He who watches over them is stronger than their fear. If only we adults could learn from children to put our hope and trust in Jesus so easily and rest in peace leaving our fears in Jesus hands.

"Dust you are and to dust you shall return."

Normally these words are spoken at the graveside committal of a Christian reminding everyone present of our mortality. These words take us back to the garden and Adam's sin and fall from grace. There God promised if he ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil that he and Eve would die. Through Satan's tempting they ate and even though it was hundreds of years later, the bible records for us the death of Adam. And it has been the same with every human born since, because dust we are and to dust we shall return.

Yet, in our busy American lives how often do we pause and contemplate our own death's? How many of us have created wills, discussed end of life issues with our children, or even made arrangements for our funerals with a funeral director or pastor? The truth of the matter is that not many of us have done any of these things for a variety of reasons. I believe the biggest is that we don't want to admit to ourselves that one day we will die. Then the church thrusts into our lives a day that forces us to think about our own deaths. This day, Ash Wednesday, can be very depressing if it is not understood in its proper context.

On Ash Wednesday Christians gather in church and after a time of personal reflection, come to God's altar and humbly kneel and receive God's verdict upon our lives. "Dust you are and to dust you shall return"... a pronouncement of our own sins. A connection of our own lives to Adam's fall and our own deaths. Yet, the pastor does not place the ashes on in any old manner. Like the words, there is meaning in the ashes. They are taken from the Palm branches used on Palm/Passion Sunday the previous year, reminding us of Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem. The ashes are applied to the forehead in the shape of cross reminding us that even though we may die, we have life through Jesus death and resurrection. They are placed upon the forehead taking the baptized back to their own baptisms were, through water and the Word, they were marked as one redeemed by Christ the crucified.

On Ash Wednesday the season of Lent begins and for many it is a time of deep personal and spiritual reflection. I would encourage everyone to take these 40 days and think about you own mortality. Make arrangements with family, funeral directors, and pastors for your funeral. Think about the legacy of faith that you are leaving behind for your family. But most of all, remember the cross of Christ has the final word. For dust you are and to dust you shall return.... And through faith in Christ you shall live again.

Bread from Heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread

4th Petition to the Lord's Prayer.

With the current economic trends and all the debate over the billions of dollars in the new stimulus package, many of us are still unsure of what tomorrow will bring. Layoffs, unemployment,and economic slowdown still threaten those of us stuck in the middle. When will this change? When will the good times return? Or will they ever?

Like many of you, I think about these things as I go over my own bills and ponder how I will be able to afford college and all the stuff that is just around the corner for my family. In fact last week I woke up and could not go back asleep because my mind kept racing around all the possible scenarios. Worried, depressed, overwhelmed, and very tired I did the only thing that seems to help me in a time like this, I prayed. And as laid there praying, I made it the Lord's Prayer and stopped on the 4th petition, " Give us this day our daily bread."

There was the answer to all my worries that night. As hard as it is for us as humans, God wishes for us to trust Him for the things we need in life. As I pondered this petition I thought about the children of Israel in the wilderness. How every day God would send manna, heavenly bread, to them in the form of a morning dew. Each day the people would go out and collect just enough for the day. No more, no less. In fact if they did try to gather enough for the next day, the bread would become full of bugs and rot away. The lesson for us today is that God still provides us with daily bread.

The hard part for us is understanding the differences between what we need and what we want. In times like this God has a very gentle way of showing us the important things in life by literally taking away from us the ability to have extra stuff that are really just distractions. And ultimately pointing us back to the the best "bread" that God has provided. Which is not really bread at all, it's Jesus. Jesus calls Himself, "the bread of heaven." Manna from God to feed not the body, but the soul. It is Jesus and our faith in Him that provides all that we need in this life. As Jesus said, " seek first the kingdom of God and all things will be added unto you." I would encourage you this week to say the Lord's Prayer every night and as you come to this petition remember all that the Lord has given you to support your life and your soul with Him forever.

Fingerprints

As I sat down to watch the Superbowl last Sunday, I noticed that all over the screen were dirty little finger prints. There were peanut butter prints, jelly prints, sticky kool-aid prints and yes even some crusty snotty prints (yuck!). At first I was upset that the kids continued to touch the TV after having been told "thousands of time" not to do just that. But trying not to have this little thing ruin family night, I washed off the fingerprints and sat down with the kids for the game.

Then over last few days, I have noticed those same fingerprints everywhere. There are some on the walls, the doors, the windows, on the mirrors, and yes even on my glasses. With five children running around the house it is very hard to keep things clean. Yet, in the quiet moments of life I stop and smile at those fingerprints because, to a father, each of them are special. I can tell, based on size and location, who left what behind. Even the twins leave different fingerprints. God, in His Divine wisdom, has created each person to be different. No two of us are alike. We look different, have different talents, hobbies, and as scientists tell us,we even have different fingerprints.

Where have you left your fingerprints? Is it in the life of a son or daughter? A grandchild or neighbor? Are your fingerprints all over church as you use your gifts and abilities in God's house? I encourage you this week to stop and look at the fingerprints around your house. Marvel and enjoy them for a moment before you wash them away. And if you can, try to leave a few fingerprints of your own in the lives of someone close to you. Let them know you love and care for them.